Editorial: Prevent Another Fatal Berkeley Balcony Collapse

With a recent court settlement and the revocation of a contractor’s license, state legislators should reflect on why six young people were killed and seven injured in a Berkeley balcony collapse two years ago.

And, rather than their milquetoast response thus far that continues to overly protect bad builders, lawmakers should take meaningful action to ensure such a tragedy never happens again.

They should require regular inspections of balconies in apartment and condominium complexes. And they should stop allowing contractors to hide lawsuit settlements from the agency that regulates them.

They must never forget the June 16, 2015, calamity in which a fifth-floor balcony of a relatively new apartment building collapsed because of rot and shoddy construction.